Street-pavement



(No Model.)

M. OROURKE.

STREET PAVEMENT. No. 340,893. Patenjed Apr. 27, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL OROURKE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STREET-PAVEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,893 dated April 27, 1886.

(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL OROURKE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Street-Pavements, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a strong and durable pavement for streets; and my invention consists in the combination and arrangement of materials hereinafter particularly specified, the figure in the accompanying drawing showing a transverse section of my improved pavement.

The Belgian block pavement is generally considered to be the best and most durable which can be employed, especially where the traffic is heavy; but heretofore it has been customary to lay these pavements upon a and to this end, in place of the usual gravel bed, I employ a foundation prepared in the following manner: I take a quantity of the cement known as Anchor Cement, and mix therewith a quantity of the breaker-dust resulting from the breaking of hard stone in a Blake or other crusher, and a quantity of hard broken stone, the largest pieces of which do not measure more than an inch and V a half in any direction, and a quantity of like stone the largest pieces of which do not measure more than two inches in any direction. The proportions in which I prefer to mix these materials are: to two and a half parts, by measurement, of the cement five parts of the breaker-dust, four parts of the inch-and-ahalf broken stone, and seven parts of the twoinch broken stone, and with these materials I use a quantity of water, to make the mixture plastic, and allow it to be laid while in that condition to the depth of seven inches, or thereabout, upon the bed of the street. This foundation A is rammed in order to compact it and cause it to present an even surface. Upon this foundation,when dry,I lay a quantity of clean bar-sand or sharp grave], or a mixture of the two, to a depth of from two to two and a half inches, as shown at B. Upon the bed thus prepared I place the granite Belgian blocks D, these blocks being preferably eight to twelve inches long by three and a half to four and a half or five inches wide and seven to eight inches deep. The interstices between the blocks I fill with small stones of suitable size for the purpose, and can utilize the small particles of broken' stone screened from that used in preparing the bed hereinabove described. The blocks I then ram until the desired compactness and even surface have been attained, and then pourinto the interstices between the blocks a quantity of roofing pitch composition or other coal-tar product.

It should be understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the exact ingredients which I have specified as composing the foundation of my improved pavement, nor to the exact proportions of ingredients described, as these may be varied without departing from the es- 8 sential feature of my invention, which is the providing of a Belgian block pavement with a foundation in the nature of an artificial stone which will present uniform resistance at all parts, and thus prevent sinking of portions of 8 the pavement under heavy traffic.

The foundation of my improved pavement presents, in effect, a rigid and homogeneous artificial-stone arch extending from curb to curb, so that strains upon any one portion of pavement are combined with a foundation of I00 artificial stone or cement, forming a rigid and In testimony whereof I have signed my name homogeneous bed, all substantially as and for to this specification in the presence of two sub- IO the purpose set forth. scribing Witnesses.

2. The combination of the granite surfacingblocks, thesancl or gravel bed, and the founda- MICHAEL O BOURKE tion of cement and broken stone, forming a lVitness es: rigid and homogeneous support for the pave- XVILLIAM F. DAVIS, ment, all substantially as specified. l HARRY SMITH. 

